Language testing and technology: past and future

The L2 field's first concerted effort in terms of computer-based testing (CBT) emerged in the mid-80s with the 1985 LTRC. The conference proceedings were published under the title Technology and Language Testing (Stansfield, 1986). The proceedings indicate that several papers presented at the conference dealt with CBT and the application of latent trait models to item-bank construction, item selection, and computer adaptive testing (CAT). The general measurement profession had been working with CBT and, more specifically, with CAT since the early 70s. The first conference on CAT was held in 1975. Perhaps the main reason the L2 field has lagged behind in this area is because it has long promoted performance-based assessment, a form of assessment that does not lend itself as readily to computerized administration as do more traditional test formats. In fact, the second section of the Stansfield volume deals primarily with performance-based assessment. So, whereas general measureme...